Saturday, February 12, 2011

fibroid fighter from Vietnam

Learned today about a fibroid fighter I had not heard about before.  It's called Crinum latifolium L..  Here's a site with more information.  Evidently it's been approved by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health for treating fibroids.  Not cheap however...

17 comments:

Unknown said...

Crila from Vietnam. I met Dr. Tram, who researched and developed Crila, 4 years ago in Vietnam. I learned that after 15 years of reviewing the research, and the results of clinical trials, the Ministry of Health in Vietnam approved Crila for use in all hospitals and pharmacies in Vietnam. Appros 8,000 people in Vietnam take Crila every month. I was so impressed with Dr. Tram and her work, that I became deeply involved with the company. Over the years she developed a proprietary plant so her Crinum latifolium 'Tram' is different from any other in the world. It takes years for these organically grown plants to mature, like wine. This is one reason it is so expensive. Look forward to any questions you have, Sue McKinney www.crilahealth.com

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Hi Sue,
Thanks so much for the comment! I have some questions, but would like to ask them hear rather than emailing, so that others can benefit from your answer too.
1. Are there any contraindications for taking the Crila?
2. Does Crila work best on certain types of fibroids, or fibroids of a certain size?
3. If someone takes Crila regularaly, how fast can they expect the fibroids to shrink?
4. How does the Crila shrink the fibroids? e.g. does it dissolve them? change the hormone balance? etc.
So curious about the Crila so looking forward to hearing more. Please post your answers as a comment here, so everyone in our community can benefit from the info.
Thanks!!!

Unknown said...

Below is in response to Fibroid Shrinker's questions. I have to break up the answers into several separate submissions because I am providing you with a lot of detailed information:

1. Contraindications.
There are no known contraindications for Crila®. Dr. Tram does not recommend it for pregnant or lactating women. In the 3 month clinical trial on 195 Vietnamese women conducted at 3 women's hospitals in 2007, which is posted in its entirety on our website under the "Research" tab, Crila® decreased the size, or stopped the growth of the tumors in 79.5% of the women. For 20.5% of the women, the tumor growth continued at a very slow rate. 36% of the women reported heavy menstrual flow before taking Crila®, which decreased to 1% of the women after the 90 days. Side effects were slight, for the few who reported having any at all, and included mild nausea, headache, vaginal dryness and hot flashes. The side effects were too slight to require any medical intervention for the nausea, etc. The nausea was the largest side effect reported by 15% of the women in the first month, but dropped to 5% of the women by the 3rd month. As a result of this peer reviewed study, in 2007 the Ministry of Health approved the use of Crila® throughout Vietnam for women suffering from uterine fibroid tumors.

It is interesting to review the comment in the study about the apparent reduction in heavy menstrual flow (Dysmenorrhea)from 36% to 1% of women after taking Crila®. The comment can be found on page 27 of the study, this is admittedly a weird sentence, but I'm just quoting from the translation of the study: "The number of people having the numerous quantity of menstrual blood in 3 months before treatment also decreases from 36.4% to 1%. However, this result is judged by patients themselves, this is a subjective factor, so it is surely erroneous."

It is assumed in this study that because the women are self-reporting a significant reduction in pain* and flow, that it must be wrong. Like we don't know ??? I talked to one of the researchers we have been consulting with at Stanford University, and she explained to me how reduction in flow is correctly studied: Women in those studies use tampons, which are weighed for several months before they start the new treatment under study. This is done to determine a baseline "normal" flow for each women, then the tampons are weighed during the course of the study, and weighed after the suspension of whatever treatment was under study. This is how an objective observation of menstrual flow is conducted.

* The original translation of this study referred on this point to "pain and flow." I notice that the word pain has dropped off this translation, and will check on that with Dr. Tram in Vietnam.

End of first response. Sue

Unknown said...

Responses to FS's questions two and three.

2. Does Crila work best on certain types of fibroids, or fibroids of a certain size?

The criteria for inclusion in the 2007 clinical trial was tumor size of 2-6cm. The reasons for the parameters of those criteria are explained in the study. We have anecdotal reports of Crila®'s effectiveness in larger fibroids, and will post those on the website as those medical records are acquired and reviewed by our medical advisors, and permission is obtained to post them.

3. If someone takes Crila regularly, how fast can they expect the fibroids to shrink?

Every body is different. We do not have sufficient research to suggest a timeline. Dr. Tram does say that after starting Crila® if it is working well for the consumer, he/she can increase their intake above the suggested daily serving size indicated on the weight chart, if the consumer wants to increase or accelerate the beneficial effect, up to 10 or more capsules per day. She also says it is important to consume a minimum of 1,000 mgs per day to achieve a beneficial effect.

Dr. Tram wanted to continue her study for longer than 90 days, and track those women after the study. She fully recognizes the limitations of the study, but there simply were no funds available to continue the study. We are now working with highly reputable American medical doctors, oncologists and researchers at some top US universities, and have a protocol for a pilot trial for UFTs to be conducted in the US which we sincerely hope to start later this year - but we await funding at this time.
We also get questions about the difference between Crila® for Menopause and Crila® Uterine Health? The answer is, there is NO difference in ingredients between these two products. The products are labeled differently to make it easier for you to find it on the interest because of search engine optimization.

Answer to question 4 to follow in next installement! Sue

Unknown said...

Answer to FS question Four.

4. How does the Crila shrink the fibroids? e.g. does it dissolve them? change the hormone balance? etc.

Dr. Tram has identified many of the active alkaloids and flavonoids which she believes are important to Crila®'s efficacy, but the precise mechanism of action is unknown. Just as the precise mechanism of action for estrogen is unknown. Dr. Tram is without doubt the world's leading authority on Crinum latifolium, so much so that the Vietnamese authorities have recognized her work in the propagation of her plants by naming them after her: Crinum latifolium 'Tram.' We are consulting with international authorities to determine if her plants are properly classified as a new cultivar, or even a new sub-species. Dr. Tram is well-known in Vietnam as one of their leading scientists. She holds 7 patents and appears regularly on nationwide television to explain her research and knowledge. She's a bit of a celebrity in Vietnam. The only reason the rest of the world hasn't heard about
Crila® yet, is because it was discovered and developed in Vietnam. Thanks to blogs like yours, that is changing now.

Dr. Tram also warns about so called "CopyCat Crila". There are some other products out there whose labels say they contain Crinum latifolium. Some even quote Dr. Tram's research, but NO NOT CONTAIN ANY Crinum latifolium 'Tram' and do not inform you of how much purported Crinum is in the formulation, or how much you need to take. They probably don't know how much you need to take. They say it is a "proprietary formula" so won't tell you the content of their products.

Based on over 21 years of research, Dr. Tram is confident that you need a minimum of 1,000 mgs per day of real Crila® to be effective for any of the desired outcomes in using this herbal supplement, whether it be to "Support, Promote, or Maintain" your healthy condition.

Dr. Tram does not believe Crila® is a plant based estrogen. It appears to have an estrogenic effect without the negative effects of estrogen, but more research is needed.

I'd like to follow this discussion with a comment about what I've learned over the last 4 years about the importance of sourcing raw materials for the supplements we take, and will send that next. Sue

Unknown said...

A word from Sue about sourcing raw materials, and what goes into Crila®.

I've just returned from ExpoWest, the largest international trade show for natural products,held in Anaheim, Calif every March. This show is for the trade only (health food stores, etc.) and holds seminars for educating people in the industry about various concerns. The American Botanical Council is there, the FDA is there, Whole Foods buyers are there, everyone who is anyone in this industry from all over the world, is there. It was attended by 58,000 people this year. It is becoming a very big concern in the industry about HOW, WHERE, FROM WHOM, and even WHAT raw materials are bought by manufacturers to go into the natural products they make for you. How do you know that dried product you just bought 2 tons of is really what you contracted to buy? Could it be contaminated or have something else mixed in, either by mistake or intentionally? This started to become a concern in the American natural products industry even before the melamine tragedy in China. And there is a whole new sector springing up in this industry to test raw materials so manufacturers can be confident to bring you what they say on their labels is actually in the product, and is what you wanted to buy, and that it is safe and free from contamination.

Dr Tram grows only her own Crinum for two reasons:
1. Her source plants are different from all others. Over 21 years ago, Dr. Tram tested all 12 known sub-species of Crinum latifolium, to determine which ONE had the medical efficacy she sought, and brought those rare plants out of the wild to grow on her organic plantations, so that SOME DAY, there would be enough to make it for people beyond the local village. (Frankly, the different Crinums all look the same to me. I point it out growing by the side of the road, and she smiles and shakes her head, and says "Look the same, NOT the same!") Over the years she has enhanced the active aklaloids and flavonoids in her plants to increase their efficacy. She won't buy any raw material "Crinum" from any other farmer, because she says it's not the same plant, and it won't work. When I first met Dr. Tram, she couldn't even supply the local demand inside of Vietnam for Crila®. It has taken her the last 4 years of constant work on plantation expansion, and building a brand new factory (to World Health Organization standards), to have enough Crila® to export outside of Vietnam. Her products are totally vertically integrated: her plantations, her factory, and she controls the export. She does not sell raw material to anyone else (because she doesn't have enough to cover demand for her own product).

2.HOW she grows her plants is different from all others. Dr. Tram has developed proprietary propagation, growing and harvest methods to obtain her unique Crinum suitable to make Crila®. Her plants are grown organically, with no pesticides or chemical fertilizer. She won't even use natural cow pats if those cows have eaten feed grown with chemical fertilizer or presticides. She is one very strict, tough lady because Crila® is her life's work. This is one special plant, and a very special woman.

She is very concerned, because the more Crila® becomes known to be effective, the more people will try to copy it, and it isn't the same. The Ministry of Health tells me that they have not licensed anyone else except Dr. Tram to export any Crinum latifolium material, so I don't know where anyone could be getting it. It must be from outside of Vietnam, or from some unknown source, so is not the same thing.

I hope this is helpful and welcome your further questions. Sue

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Thanks so much Sue for all the detailed information. Very interesting. That's all the questions I have for now, but perhaps some readers will have others!

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Reading the Crila study now, and want to quote this portion which I think is really interesting:

Etiology of the disease (uterine fibroids) is the accumulation of damaged vital force and stagnated blood flow
in the uterus after a long time or irregular movement of spleen and stomach "functions", this causes
an accumulation of liquid to form mucus. Mucus then in its turn to accumulate in the uterus and
finally a hard tumor which gradually enlarges and causes pain and dysmenorrheal.

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Ok, another question for Sue. I'm looking at the chart on page 12 of the report. Does this mean that Crila is a GnRH-like agonist?

Unknown said...

View a video about Crila®.

The television program Healing Quest, hosted by Olivia NewtonJohn, came to Vietnam last summer to film about Crila® and Dr. Tram. You remember that Olivia NJ became very interested in integrative health care because of her own experience with breast cancer. That program is now broadcasting across the US on PBS channels. Here is the YouTube link to it so you can see Dr. Tram, her plantations, new factory, and the doctors at the Ministry of Health who conducted clinical trials on Crila®. I also include the link to our website where you can download the original research and Ministry of Health published reports.

Website: www:crilahealth.com
Watch Crila on PBS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwWztinuIfA

Unknown said...

Will ask Dr. Tram tomorrow, it's wee hours in VN now. She doesn't speak much English, so my assistant will call her in the morning. Sue

Unknown said...

From Sue - Dr. Tram's response to FS's question:

Testosteron is effected to inhibit gonadotropin discharge in the front lobe of the pituitary gland, so it will reduce estrogen discharge so that it also reduces the amount of bleeding. The patients can take Crila to reduce the bleeding but we cannot give out any conclusion that Crila effected on gonadotropin discharge because we have not studied this matter yet.
Dr. Tram

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Thanks so much for that additional information!

Unknown said...

To FS - I sent Colleen Dee, a Canadian woman who has taken Crila, to your site so you could hear from a woman who has fibroids and has taken Crila, and I think she sent you her comments last week? Let me know if you need an email for her ?

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Haven't heard from her yet, will look forward to hearing from her!

Colleen said...

I'd like to tell you about my experience with Crila for Menopause. I was told a number of years ago that I had fibroids. Apparently I had ‘many’ fibroids according to the ultrasound specialist. I did ask my doctor about them and he said that when I reach menopause that in time they will disappear. Well I did just come into menopause and suffered many of the ‘symptoms of menopause: night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia…..blah…blah…blah.
I was having a load of hot flashes, up to 40 a day, which made my day and nights hard to take. My husband would just touch my skin and I would jump back because of the heat of his hand. It turns out it wasn’t his hand that was hot but my own body heat. I am Canadian and my husband and I are teachers living here in Vietnam, sometimes certain medications are hard to come by or you are restricted by your own country’s insurance for buying a year’s worth of your needed medicines. So a friend suggested that I try Crila for Menopause as it was helping her with her own hot flashes and other symptoms. For me the best thing about Crila was that it was an herbal too….and WAS effective. Within 3 days my hot flashes were down from 40 a day to fewer than 7. My night sweats abated, my mood swings became stable and I only suffered insomnia periodically. All this was absolutely lovely for me but another interesting thing happened, my stomach paunch decreased about an inch and my abdomen stopped getting that uncomfortable abdomen I sometimes get. I’m not a big person and I know my body and something was different in that area. I had forgotten that Crila is not only good for Menopause but also for Uterine Health. I was curious and had an ultrasound done last summer and was told I had only 2 fibroids left. This happened over a 6-8 month period of my taking Crila, I can’t remember which, but this is just another menopausal symptom…sigh. Over time, I've reduced the dosage of Crila that I take, and still keep the positive benefits. I've now had the chance to meet Dr. Tram, a very serious scientist who has been committed to research and development of Crila to bring it to the world. She came to meet the International Ladies Club in Vietnam, and I had the chance to visit her organic plantation, I even invested a small amount in the company because I believe this will be a real benefit to so many women around the world. And men, too. I now have my husband taking Crila for Prostate as his doctor, in last checkup, told my husband his prostate was a little swollen.
Colleen

Fibroid Shrinker said...

Thanks so much for sharing your story Colleen!